Stories for children
by Natalie River
Summary: A book of stories found on the top shelf turns out to be a challenge for Roger. Can he succeed in reading them to the Wammy's children? Or will he want to push himself into an oven by the end? Reading stories is difficult when the aduience are genii
1. Murder

Reaching up to the farthest corner of the highest shelf, Roger pulled a large book down. It was dusty ,and he had not read it before. On the cover, were the words "A varied book of stories for children." He wandered what kind of title that was. It seemed suitable, however, for the kind of stories children would enjoy. Perhaps they might even like them so much, they would go to sleep willingly. Perhaps, this was the least he could hope for.

Looking at the children seated around him, he noticed that even the eldest, Matt and Mello sat there. At eleven they usually considered themselves far too old to listen to stories. But perhaps they looked forward to it.

"I thought, today we might read some stories." Said Roger, smiling warmly at the class full of children, all dressed in their nightclothes, ready for bed. There was a weak groan, from someone in the second row of children, Roger silenced it with a freeze worthy stare.

"You do not like stories?" he asked.

"What sort of stories are they?" asked a chubby boy with curly ginger hair.

"Some of them are of a rather macabre nature, others seem love filled." Then with an odd grim, he added. "I have a taste for the first genre."

A girl put her hand up, she seemed quite quiet, and wasn't like the others who would talk with no politeness to any other child. "You mean to say, that they are scary stories and some are different kinds?" she asked.

Roger nodded.

"Oh, I do love scary stories sir." Mello and Matt nodded in agreement as she said that. The whole group was quite enthusiastic. They agreed nosily and happily, until Roger raised his hands for quiet. He opened the book, and brought out a beautifully made leather book mark. Someone must have read it, a long time ago, and intended to go back to it. It made him worry, why they hadn't, but he was sure it was nothing. His over active imagination.

"Okay, okay." He said. "How many of you are interested with music?" a few children raised their hands. "Good, then let's begging.

" There was once, a boy called Ryan. Ryan lived with his Mother and his father, in a lovely house, just on the edge of a park. It was a nice house, and Ryan even had his own room. The wooden floor was smooth, and there was no bogeyman under the bed. At least not now.

Ryan took his head out from under the bed, and got off his knees to stand. He was not quite four feet tall, and his green pyjamas had a picture of a dragon on them. He was going to be in Mrs Williams class next year, after the holidays, and he was proud that he was a big boy. But there were still some things even a big boy had to be sure about.

Which meant he had to check the wardrobe. He clutched the cold brass doorknob, and pulled the door, so that it swung open. He held his breath for a moment. The wardrobe was far worse than under his bed. Because the clothes looked like people, and the shoes were their feet. It was dark and crowded and hard to see past everything. Ryan took extra special care to make sure there was nothing in the wardrobe. He examined it closely.

Finally happy that he really was alone in his room, and safe. That there was no bogeyman under the bed, or in the wardrobe, or hiding in the mirror, he was ready to sleep. But sleep was hard to find. He felt as if he were forgetting something, as he did each and every night. And he felt as if he aught to know what it was that he had forgotten. Which he needed to remember, and that kept him awake each and every night, for hours on end. He remembered that something had happened, one day a while ago. And that was something he couldn't quite pinpoint. He remembered the things that led up to the bad thing. He remembered his dad had been shouting, at his mother in the kitchen. And his Mum had started crying. But most of all, the bad thing had taught him there was a bogeyman in the world. The bogeyman was trying to get him, and if he wasn't carefully the bogeyman would get him. But that was all he could remember, and he couldn't be sure if the bogeyman was still around or not. Which meant, each night, before he went to sleep he had to check his room. Just to make sure of course.

Finally the boy drifted off to sleep, and dreamt the same dream he had dreamt many times before. Back in the kitchen, his Dad shouting at his Mum, and his Mum shouting back. And then she was crying, cowering by the sink. And he watched on, feeling fear and dread. But the dream suddenly changed to something else. Something that hadn't happened. He was outside, running away from the bogeyman, from the monster under his bed. It was night time, and the moon was hiding somewhere. He was running towards the woods and trees in the park. He felt so scared, because he knew, that if the monster caught him something bad would happen. Something very, very bad. He ran and ran, knowing he was running for his life.

And then there was nothing. Nothing at all. And then there was dark crimson. Just lots of the colour, and he woke, like every other dream he had. As he sat up in his bed, he knew that this was when the night feelings came. Every time he awoke in the night, he felt scared, and alone. Vulnerable, was he really alone in the room? Or was the monster there with him? Watching him while he slept. Too afraid to get up and turn the light on, Ryan drew the covers up to his chin, almost under his nose. He lay there sweating and shaking. He thought he heard a noise, and lay there, listening for any sound, a footstep, a heart beat, a breath that could indicate the bogeyman was there in his room with him.

But he didn't hear anything at all. He heard a creak from the house settling. He heard a branch scraping against his window in the night breeze. He heard the heating system working, but he still lay there. His mind filled with fear and foreboding, until in a way that only children can do he drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

The morning sun shone through his window, waking him, Ryan's thought was. "Oh no!" Mr Jones would be so angry, he was late for school because his Mum had forgotten to wake him. But then he remembered that it was the school holidays, and he relaxed. He decided he would sleep late, but then changed his mind when he smelt pancakes cooking.

His Mum only worked in the afternoons in the school holidays, this meant she could make breakfast each and every morning. Later that day she was going to drop him off at their next door neighbours, the Hughes's, so she could go to work at some shop that Ryan couldn't quite remember the name to. But he didn't mind staying with the neighbours, they had a girl his age Eli May, and she was very nice and very pretty and made him blush. His Dad worked full time, so he was gone by the time he woke up, even on school days.

Ryan left his bedroom without bothering to check under his bed or in the cupboard, because everyone knew the bogeyman only came out during the night. in the day you were safe. He climbed down the stairs, and reached the kitchen.

"Have you got some lemon juice for mine?" he asked his Mum.

"Well good morning to you too." Said she in reply. "Have I ever let you down with the sugar and the lemon juice?"she asked.

Ryan loved the way his Mum was so cheerful, usually his Dad was cheerful too, except in the kitchen those nights ago. But today was not a day to think about bad things. Not that he could remember the bad thing in detail anyway. Today was sunny, there was no monster, and there was tasty pancakes for breakfast.

When the time came for Ryan to be dropped at the Hughes's, he was in a good mood. Of course, he didn't look forward to it today, as his mum had told him that Eli May was at her friend's house. He didn't enjoy being babysat by Mrs Hughes alone, as she only wanted to talk about gossip, even pressing him for family tales. And making him promise to tell his mother nothing.

"How are you today hon?" she asked, after his mother had driven off. Ryan wasn't sure what a "hon" was, but he was quite sure that he wasn't one. and for another, he was certain that he could predict what the question after was to be. And sure enough she would ask "And how are your parents doing? No more arguments I hope." And Ryan would reply with his usual reply.

But this time Mrs Hughes didn't follow the script she'd set for herself. "What's your Mother going to do about your god father?"

"What?" Ryan wasn't sure he'd heard right. "What god father?"

"You know," Mrs Hughes said. "The guy your father chose, his best friend mind you, to be your god father."

"I don't have a god father."

Mrs Hughes raised her eyebrows slightly, but said nothing more. Later when Ryan's mum came to pick him up he was full of questions. As she bustled round the kitchen, making dinner for him and his dad, he asked. "Do I have a god father?" his mother stopped in her tracks.

"Yes dead, you do. I'm surprised you're asking."

"Mrs Hughes says so."

"Oh that old woman." Said Mrs Beeby, his mother. "God I wish she'd but out of it. I pay her good money to look after you, and she has to have gossip as well."

Ryan figured he hadn't heard any answer to his question. His Mother looked at him for a moment. "You really don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

She ignored that, and said. "Yes, your father has a good friend, an almost brother who he trusted you to. So yes you have a god father, but Benny, Uncle Benny has made mistakes in his life. Which means he's been put away to pay for his mistakes.

"How much do his mistakes cost?" asked Ryan.

His Mother laughed. "A couple of years of his life. That's what you saw us yelling about that night in the kitchen, me and your dad. I don't want him near us. Hey why don't you help me with these hot dogs? Fetch me those buns out of the freezer, good boy."

Ryan could tell the subject of his god father was closed. He sat at the kitchen table, waiting for dinenr. After a few minutes his mother sat down too. "We should wait until your father gets home before we eat." She said. And so they waited and waited. About half an hour later, she rose from her seat and started to serve dinner. She sat across from him, and ate silently. Ryan's father didn't come home for dinner, nor was he home when Ryan's mum tucked him into bed. Or when she turned off the lamp that was always perched on the table. He didn't want her to leave, he knew once she left, that the scares would begin. And he couldn't stand them, when she was worried about his dad. Ryan felt the need to keep his fears to himself.

As soon as his Mum closed the door, he hopped out of bed and switched the lamp on. He began his nightly ritual all over again, first he leaned over and checked under his bed for the monster. The pine smell from the polish was fading, and dust was covering it. But there was no bogeyman. Next of course was the wardrobe. Ryan hated checking the wardrobe, because it was of course that was the most logical place for someone to hide. Odds were if he were a monster, he would hide in the wardrobe.

He was always afraid to check the wardrobe. Wouldn't it just stop is heart if he opened the door and came face to face with the bogeyman. But the only alternative was to not check the wardrobe, and that would mean that the bogeyman would creep out and take him during the night. For the millionth time he carefully felt the cold brass doorknob and gave it a tug, the door swung open slowly. He held his breath for a moment, and then his insides turned to ice. He peeked into the wardrobe, and suddenly his green dragon pyjamas felt warmer and wetter than before. He could hear the loud thumping of his heart.

The bogeyman crouched in the corner of the wardrobe, he'd come for Ryan Beeby. The bogeyman crouched there, and the monster was red.

Ryan tried to run, he tried to scream but the words stuck in his mouth. In terror he stumbled and fell. Finally he opened his mouth, and screamed as loudly as he could. He was unmoving lying on the floor shrieking and shaking. He heard his mother thudding up the stairs, running.

"Oh God Ryan," she cried, "What's wrong? What's the matter?" she looked almost as frightened as he was.

"The bogeyman's here!" Ryan sobbed into her arms. "We gotta run before he gets us."

"The bogeyman? What bogeyman, there's no such thing. You had a bad dream, that's all."

"No!" Ryan sobbed. "It's true, he's in there."

"Ryan there is no monster in there. Calm down."

"I told you. He's there again..in the wardrobe." The door was shut now, it must have swung so.

"Look dear, I'll go look ok." Mrs Beeby walked to the closet, and Ryan shrunk back part wanting to run, part wanting to pull her away save her. She turned the knob and pulled the door open, the bogeyman was still in there, crouched in the corner drenched in red.

Ryan shrieked loudly, but his Mother was shaking the monster. Touching him. He heard her telling the bogeyman to wake up. Then she ran to pick up the child, as he continued to shriek with fright. She put him down on the sofa in the living room.

"Baby, please don't cry. We need to call an ambulance, I need to get help. Please Ryan, no ones going to hurt you while I'm here. Look come with me to the kitchen, okay? Please don't cry."

She took Ryan with her to the kitchen. She picked up the phone, then put it down again.

"Ryan," she said slowly "We need to go next door to ask Mrs Hughes to use the phone. Ours is broken."

"It's not someone cut it didn't they." Ryan had seen enough tv to know that much.

His Mum ignored that. "Ryan we're going next door to see Mrs Hughes." And the lights went off.

"Mum! I can't see!" cried Ryan. "The bogeyman is going to get me."

"Ryan be quiet." His Mum said, and Ryan could tell that there was something in her voice that meant there was more than just the phone's that were broken.

"What?" he asked, but then heard it too. He could hear breathing and footsteps, and it wasn't his mother was standing beside him. The bogeyman was in the kitchen, and he was going to get them both. The kitchen was dark, as dark as a tomb. He could hear something, almost feel it grab his mother yanking her away when just a second ago she had been by his side.

"Ryan! His Mother screamed. "Run! Go to the back door and run!"

"MUM! He cried, he was stuck, couldn't move. He could hear some shuffling and a sort of struggle. But he still couldn't do anything or see anything. Then he heard his mother again. "Do it Ryan!"

Suddenly there was an ear shattering boom. It was the loudest thing he had ever heard. It was so loud it almost deafened him. That noise pushed him into action. He turned, and raced for the kitchen door fumbling for the lock, he burst through it and took flight. He headed for the woods, towards the town, just like the dreams he had had. And the bogeyman was chasing him, in hot pursuit, right behind him. Ryan could hear him panting and sweating. The bogeyman was right behind him, so close he could smell him, Ryan lent forward knees pumping his breath wheezing out. And he was too afraid to look behind him. Afraid that if he hesitated and looked back, he would be caught. If only he could reach the tree line, in his dream he always was safe after reaching the trees. If he could hide in the under bush in the darkness. If only.

He made it. Ryan reached the woods, and instinctively he knew where he could hide. Then in a way small boys do, he found a little dark hovel, underneath a log. Just as if he were hiding under a bed, Ryan hoped it was a good enough hiding place.

He crouched under the rough bark of a fallen tree and tried to weld himself into the hole. He tried to calm his rapid breathing, shutting his eyes to shut out the world. He could hear branches snapping and the limbs of bushes being cast aside. But the sounds seemed random, maybe the monster couldn't tell where he was hiding. Could it be the monster wasn't all seeing and all knowing. Hopefully. For his sake.

"Ryan!" the voice called. "Ryan come here." Ryan froze in confusion, because it was a voice that sounded similar to his father's.

"Ryan!" his father called again. "Where are you?" was it his father, or the bogeyman playing tricks on him?

"Ryan I'm not playing games. Come out now! It's an order." A lifetime of obeying his parents won, and he crawled out from his hiding spot.

"Come here son." Said the man who looked like his father, and sounded like him.

When he got close, he noticed he was covered in red, just like he saw in his dream. It scared him, but it was hid Dad, it couldn't be bad. Mr Beeby took his son's hand, to lead him through the forest.

"Don't worry now, you're safe."

"Dad what happened?" Ryan asked as the two stepped away. "Dad why are you all bloody?" he asked again.

"It doesn't matter." His dad answered. "The police are at out house. It's over."

"Dad," Ryan said. "I'm a big boy now, you can tell me now."

Mr Beeby sighed, as he walked by his son. "My best friend. He went to prison, your god father. But now, he's crazy he is. He thinks I'm the reason he went to prison. And remember that one night last year what he did to you? No you don't. and today, he came to try and steal something of mine, and I've got a nasty cut he thought he'd killed me. but he was wrong."

"Is Mum okay? Was it him?"

"Yes Ryan, it was. She's ok, but he isn't. That's why the police are at our house."

"I thought you were the bogeyman in my closet." Said Ryan, sadly.

"No sweetie, I'm not the bogeyman. But he, my friend, he was good. But he's as close to a bogeyman as you'll get."

"So the bogeyman is real."

"Yes, in a way. But he's gone now."

"But Dad." Ryan said. "Don't be silly, no one can kill the bogeyman. He'll be back in the wardrobe one night."

Roger shut the book with a bang.

"Lame." Muttered Mello.

"Pardon?" asked Roger, smiling.

"Nothing sir." Said Matt hurriedly covering for his friend. Mello laughed.

"Please sir, can we have another story?" asked the girl who had been so enthusiastic to hear one in the first place.

"I'm afraid not, maybe tomorrow?"

The children sighed, and most were silent though. They went to bed quietly, and that night each one checked under the bed and in the wardrobe before sleeping. Even Mello, not that he would admit it.


	2. Little Orange Goggles

"Once upon a time, in a land far away there lived a young girl and her name was-"

"Can it be Linda?" Mello asked. Linda grinned.

"Ok." Roger said. "Her name was Linda. But she was otherwise known as little red riding hood because she always wore a red riding hood."

"Can she be known as Little Orange Goggles?" Matt asked. He was playing with his DS, but was paying enough attention to the story to hear this. "Please..?" He pouted.

"Ok. Her name was Linda and she was known as Little Orange Goggles." He held the dusty book in his lap. "One day Little Orange Goggles's Mother asked her to take a basket of cookies to her-"

"Can it be her boyfriend?" Linda asked.

Roger sighed. "Fine, to her boyfriend.."

"Rhys." Rhys said. He wanted his name in the story. Then he blushed realising he was someone's boyfriend.

"Ok, to her boyfriend Rhys. Because Rhys had taken to his bed sick, and he hadn't been able to get up. So her Mother gave her the basket and then said 'Go straight there and don't talk to any strangers. Be careful of the wolf who lives in the woods."

"How old is she?" Near asked. No one had thought he'd been paying attention either.

"Urm.."

"And why is her Mother letting her go if she knows there is a wolf on the way?" His montone voice was questioning.

"I..she's...she's fifteen ok? And her Mother...trusts her.." Roger regained control of himself. "And so, Little Orange Goggles pulled on her Orange Goggles and went on her mission to deliver a small basket to Rhys. She had only just entered the forest when across the path jumped out a wolf and he said-"

"Wolves can't speak." Near told him.

"Shut up Near!" Mello called. "Some people are trying to listen."

"Mello..animals can not talk." He paused. "Which is why I sometimes wonder why you can."

Mello lept up, but was told to sit down again by Roger. "Ok Near...across the path jumped out.."

"BB!" Matt cried.

"Ok, and out jumped BB. Giving a startled squeak Little Orange Goggles whipped around to see BB behind her. 'Good Morning Miss Orange Goggles.' He said to her. 'You seem to be happy today. What nice goggles you have.' And Little Orange Goggles said-"

Linda cut across him. "She said 'Ugh you pervet! Stop looking at my clothing!"

"Right.." Roger agreed wearily. "BB then looked at her basket. 'What is in the basket little girl?' he asked.

"Cookies! For my boyfriend!"

"That's right. And BB was very hungry. So he said 'Please may I have one?' But Little Orange Goggles said-"

"No way jose!"

"And so BB said. 'Ah well, were does your boyfriend live?'"

"But Little Orange Goggles didn't tell him did she? Because that would be stupid." Linda informed him.

"But Little Orange Goggles was stupid. No Matt I'm not talking about you. Little Orange Goggles said 'He lives in the middle of the forest.' BB laughed. 'What a clever name is Linda, for such a clever girl'. His voice would melt sugar. 'How would you like to come home with me for lunch?'"

"She didn't say yes did she?" Gaped Linda.

Roger shook his head. "She said she was on her way to her boyfriends. 'I see' hissed BB, licking his lips with his red tongue. 'I best be on my way now'. 'You're leaving me now?' asked the girl. 'Yes dear, I must go to prepare my lunch'. He said with a twisted smile as he left the girl alone. The moment he was out of earshot he ran towards the boyfriend's house as fast as he could. When he got there he gently knocked on the door until he heard the handsome boy call out. 'Who is it?'"

"What did he say?" Mello asked.

"'It's me' sang BB in an immitation of Linda's. 'Little Orange Goggles'. 'I'll let you in'. The boyfriend said. He turned the brass knob slowly, and the moment the door opened BB pounced upon Rhys the boyfriend, slamming him down onto the wooden floor. He gave a shriek of pure terror at the sight of the horrible villian. BB's eyes glowed a dangerous red and his sharp jagged teeth ripped into his body. 'Sorry Rhys' whispered BB. 'But it's time for you to die'. And with that he slit his throat with one sharp tooth and ended his life. Then taking hold of the man's body dragged him out of the room leaving a horrible trail of thick red blood across the floor. He pushed him into a closet before stripping him and stealing his clothes. Quickly he ran back to the bed and pulled the covers over himself. He wore Rhys's jacket and Rhys's nightcap."

"I don't wear a nightcap!"

"You do in the story. Anyway, he pulled the nightcap onto his head and waiter for Little Orange Goggles to enter. 'Darling Boyfriend?' came the sweet little voice from the front room where he had left the door open. 'What is the red stuff on the floor?' 'It's only wine-"

"It's not wine! BB wouldn't drink! It's jam!"

"Ok, 'It's only jam' BB called this time disguising his voice to be like Rhys's. 'Come to my room I am too unwell to come to you.' BB called. Little Orange Goggles took of her coat and skipped to the bedroom. 'Do you want me to put a light on Rhys?' she asked because the darkness was too hard on her young little eyes. 'No darling.' BB called. 'But I will light you a candle'. He lit a candle to fill the room with a dim glow. 'Come close to me dear.' Little Orang Goggles approached the bed. 'Oh Rhys!' She exclaimed. 'What big ears-"

"He doesn's have big ears! He has big hair."

"Fine. 'What big hair you have!' 'The better to brush' said BB. 'What big eyes you have!' Little Orange Goggles leaned closer. 'All the better to see you with' BB told her. 'What big teeth-"

"I don't think BB would be able to kill someone using his teeth, they aren't long enough. I think a knife would make more sense."

"Ok Near." Roger agreed. "'Oh Rhys what a big knife you have!' 'All the better to eat you with my Angel!' Cried BB viciously. He threw off the blanket and nightcap and lunged at the girl. 'Come here Little Orange Goggles it will only hurt for a second!' he said rubbing his head. She ran out of the door through into the front room, but Linda slammed the door in his face. 'Get back here little girl' cried BB as he broke the door down and came face to face with the little girl. 'Where's Rhys?' Asked Little Orange Goggles. BB simply cackled. He chased the girl around the room-"

"BB wouldn't have to chase her."

"He does in the story. Until the brave woodsman broke down the door and killed-"

"A woodsman couldn't kill BB." Mello informed Roger.  
"Who could kill BB?" Roger scowled.

"Kira."

"Fine. BB chased Little Orange Goggles around the room with his knife. She fought him off as best she could, but just as he was about to kill her and eat her Kira killed him. Then Little Orange Goggles returned home to her Mother and they all lived happily ever after. She never talked to strangers again. The end."

"But why didn't she wait for the police to arrive?" Near asked twirling a piece of white hair around his delicate finger.

"Why did BB not kill her when he found her? Surely that would have been more logical."

"Why did she let a young girl go into the woods where she knew there was a wolf or in this case a known murder waiting?"

"Why does Rhys live in a forest?"

"Why doesn't BB just wait behind the door and pounce? Surely that would have been easier? Why pretend to be Rhys? It would be so much easier to simply wait for her or hide behind the door."  
"In my opinion BB's plan-"

"Right!" Roger shut the book with a large clap. "Off to bed! Goodnight!" He sighed to himself. This was how they reacted to all fairytales. He didn't know why he bother. He needed a nice strong cup of tea to get away from them all.


	3. Three Bears and The Vandal

"Daddy Bear, Mummy Bear and Baby Bear sat down to their usual bowls or porridge." Roger read.

"Do they have to be Mummy and Daddy?" Mello whined. "We don't have 'Mummies' and 'Daddies'. Can they be L Bear and Watari Bear and Near Bear."

"Ok." Roger sighed. "L Bear and Watari Bear and Near Bear sat down for their usual bowls of-"

"Chocolate!"

"Ok. Chocolate. 'It's too hot' whined Near Bear. 'Let's go for a walk while we wait for it to cool' said Watari Bear who was always one for logic. While they were out a little girl named Goldilocks was wandering pointlessly around the forest for she wasn't too bright you see. When she came upon their cottage, and deciding to have a snoop around, so she knocked on the door. 'Hello?' she called 'is anyone home?' when there was no answer she pushed the door open."

"Why wasn't it locked?" Near asked. "Surely L would be more careful and lock his door."

"Yeah and what kind of stupid name is Goldilocks?" Mello asked.

"What kind of stupid name is Mello?" Matt asked.

"Hush now.." Roger scolded. "For reasons unknown L Bear had not locked the door or devised any kind of security system to put in place."

"Isn't that breaking and entering?" Matt asked.

Mello turned to him shaking his head. "She didn't break anything and it ain't entering if the door was open."

"Fine there was a security system but due to Goldilocks being intelligent she got past it and broke the door down. Happy?"

"That's breaking and entering." Mello said. "It involes effort."

"And so, after Goldilocks broke the door down, being a nosy person she was she stepped inside to have a look. There she saw on a plain wooden table, three bowls of chocolate. She was hungry, so she treated herself to a bit of chocolate from the first bowl."

"That's theivery!"  
"You mean theft." Near corrected the girl.

"Yeah!"

"Right, so cruely Goldilocks stole some chocolate from the first bowl. This was L Bear's bowl. She tasted it then spat it out."

"She really isn't greatful is she Roger?"

Roger rolled his eyes. "No she's not Mello."

"I'd get her for stealing L's chocolate."

"I'm sure you would Mello. And so she said 'Too hot!' She tried a bit from the second bowl. 'Too cold!' She cried. She tried some from the third bowl because she was determined to eat somebody else's food. 'It's just right' she squealed. She ate it all up and after eating each bit she went into the living room."

"She's nosy and a pig then!" Rhys announced.

"Yes." Sighed Roger. "I suppose so. She went into the living room and found three chairs. This like many other stories is repetitive and therefore she found the first one was too hard, the seocnd too soft-"

"How can a chair be too soft?" Mello's curious face grinned up at him.

"I don't know Mello. But the third chair was perfect, and she rocked back and forth on the little chair-"

"That belonged to Near!" Matt announced.

"She can't have my real chair can she?" Near asked.

Roger shook his head. "No Near, she can't have your real chair. But she rocked back and forth on Near Bear's chair and it broke under her weight."

"Probably all the chocolate." Linda giggled.

"Chocolate doesn't make you fat!"

"It can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Roger am I fat?" Mello demanded as he bit off another piece of chocolate.  
"No Mello."  
"Roger can chocolate make you fat?"

"If you ate it alone and in great quantities-"  
"Told you!" Linda stuck her tongue out at Mello who stuck his own out at Linda.

"Anyway! Much dismayed and exhausted for being quite nosey is hard work she went upstairs to try each of the beds."

"Why did she do that?" Mello asked. "Can't she steal all their money and run? It's what I'd do."

"I'm sure it is Mello. However Goldilocks was tired and so she went upstairs. She found the three beds."

"Roger, I know that it's L and Watari instead of Mummy and Daddy." Sara ventured. "But why would the Mother and Father bear not share a bed?"

"I-" He hadn't thought of that before. "I don't know Sara. But she went upstairs and found three beds. She sat on the first one and wriggled down, she found that to be too hard."

One of the older boys who was walking past the door during story time stiffled a laugh. "What was hard Roger?" He asked cheekily before Mello closed the door in his face.  
"Finish the story!"

"That was what I was trying to do." Roger told him. "She tried the other bed but this one was too soft. But the last bed which was Near Bear's bed was just right. She plopped down onto it, and fell straight into a deep sleep."

"Hey! That'll be the only girl who ever gets into Near's bed willingly!" Mello called.

"Mello!" Roger scolded.

"She's not really in my bed is she Roger?" Near sucked his thumb.

"No Near, it's ok. She's not really in your bed. As I was saying, she fell straight into a deep sleep. Later the three bears, L Bear, Watari Bear and Near Bear came home and found their front door open. They made their way into the kitchen and found that their chocolate had been eaten. 'Someone's been eating by chocolate' said L Bear. 'Someone's been eating _my _chocolate' said Watari Bear. But Near Bear said 'Someone's been eating my chocolate and they've eaten it all up!'"

"Did L call the police force?" Linda asked.

Mello sighed as if she were stupid. "Don't be silly! He doesn't need the police! He's L! He'd have emergency pressure buttons to call ever detective agency in the land there in that moment! So he summoned them didn't he Roger?"

"Urm..ok..So L Bear called in all of his favours-"

"Not all of them! L's owed loads. He'd call in five of them." Dictated Matt.

"Right. So L Bear called in five favours before they went to look around the rest of the house. In the living room they found their chairs. L Bear sat down in his chair and -I know how L sits! And he pulled his knees to his chest but then he realised that someone had been sitting in his chair. Watari Bear sat in his chair and said 'Someone's been sitting in my chair'. But when Near Bear went to sit in his chair he said 'Someone's been sitting in my chair and they've broken it!'."

"I broke Near's chair once." Mello whispered to Matt.  
"My chair isn't really broken is it Roger?" Asked Near.

Roger shook his head. "No it isn't."

"Why didn't L notice the chair was broken? Surely his detective skills would mean that he'd notice before Near pointed it out."

"Ok for some reason L Bear was distracted and didn't notice. Then they made their way to the bedroom. In the bedroom L Bear looked at his bed-he was distracted again ok? And he said 'Someone's been sleeping in my bed'. Watari Bear said 'Someone's been sleeping in my bed'. But Near Bear said 'Someone's been sleeping in my bed, and they're still there!' Near Bear pointed at the little blond girl lying in his bed."

"Did they arrest her for breaking and entering?"

"She was a vandal too!"

"I'm not finished. Goldilocks woke and feined some fake innocence. 'Who are you?' she asked.

"As if she had the right to be questioning them?" Linda was outraged.

"Yeah!" Liam agreed. "I mean if I came in and found some blonde girl in my room then I'd be mad! I wouldn't want her asking me questions!"

"Ok. So we all agree that the Bear's were angry. Well L Bear being the head of the family decided to ask her some questions. So he growled at her-"

"L growled?" Mello looked almost impressed.  
"He's a bear. So L Bear growled and said 'What are you doing in my Near Bear's bed?' and Goldilocks ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs and out of the front door before any of the Bear's could catch her."

"If they were bears could they rip her to pieces?" Mello asked.

"They could." Roger agreed.

"But we live in a country where we hold trials!" Near told Mello.

"What about the FBI?" Liam asked.  
"Ok, the FBI arrested her and sent her to a detention centre."

"Did she do more breaking and entering?" Mello asked.

"Ok. Goldilocks spent her long life in and out of prison. The end."

"But Mello you do breaking and entering-"

"I don't get caught."

Roger didn't want to hear anymore. So he sent them to bed as he closed the dusty book once more. He would read them another story another night.


	4. Mushroom and Her Hair

"Once a long time ago there was a couple who wished for a child." Roger read. "The woman hoped and hoped God would grant her that wish. Every day she would stand by her window where she could see a splendid garden full of beautiful flowers and herbs. But it was surrounded by a high wall and no one dared to go into it."

"Why didn't she adopt?" Linda asked.

Mello agreed. "There are lots of us in orphanages and in care. Why not adopt one of us?"

Roger shrugged. "There was no adopting back then." He told the boy. "One day she saw planted the most beautiful rampion, rapunzel, and it looked so good she longed for it. The desire increased every day, and she knew she could have none of it. She grew pale and miserable. Her husband was worried. He asked her what was wrong. She replied. 'Ah, if I can't eat some of the rampion which is in the garden I will die.'"

"Rampion sounds stupid!" Matt commented. "Can't she long for something else?"

"Like what Matt?" Roger asked looking down at the auburn haired boy.

"Mushrooms." Matt replied.

Roger raised an eyebrow. "Mushrooms?" He asked. "Ok, so she wanted mushrooms. The man loved her, and went to fetch some for her. So at twilight he climbed over the wall and into the garden of the enchantress haistily grabbing some of the mushrooms, and taking it to his wife."

"Why didn't he go and buy some mushrooms?" Mello asked.

Roger shrugged. "Perhaps it was expensive. Maybe you couldn't get that kind anywhere else."

"Where they magic mushrooms?" Matt asked. "I know where to find those."

Roger shuddered, he was sure Matt did. "Well the husband fetched some of the mushrooms and took it to his wife who made a salad for it. But the very next day she longed for it even more. In the gloom of the evening he snuck into the garden again, but when he got there he was afraid. For there was the enchantress standing before him. 'How dare you come to my garden to steal my ra-mushrooms like a theif! You will suffer'."

"Did she call the police?" Near asked. "The law should be the only form of justice."

Roger shook his head. "There was no police force in this time." He told the boy. "And the man begged for mercy, explaining why he had gone there. The enchantress let her anger soften. She said to him 'if the case may be as you say I will allow you to take as much mushrooms as you will. Only I make one condition, you must give me the child that you and your wife bring to this world. It shall be treated well and I will care for it like a mother.'"

"Why did he agree?" Mello asked.

"Because he didn't want to get into trouble." Roger suggested.  
"But surely if he loved his wife that much he would know that she longed for a baby more?" Linda asked.

"I don't know." Roger commented. "But the man in fright agreed to everything, and when the woman gave birth to the child the enchantress appeared at once and gave her the name-Mushroom after the Mushrooms that had been stollen. Mushroom grew up to be the most beautiful child under the sun. When she was twelve, the enchantress shut her in a tower that had neither stairs nor door but quite at the top a little window."

"How did she put her in it?" Mello asked.

"Maybe they built it first then used a ladder." Roger looked at Mello to see if the explanation was enough. It was. "When the enchantress wanted to go, she placed herself underneath and cried 'Mushroom! Mushroom! Let down your hair to me!' and Mushroom when she heard the voice would unfasten her braided tresses wind them round one hook by the window above and the hair fell twenty feet at least bellow. The enchantress would climb up it."

"That would hurt a lot." Linda commented.

"Yes it would." Roger agreed. "After a year or two it came to pass that the king's son rode through the forest and passed the tower. There he heard a song which was so charming he stood and listened."

"Roger!" A girl called Kujo interupted. She was just turning sixteen, and passing by as she heard the story.

"What is it dear?" He asked.

"I couldn't help but overhear! I think in the more origonal versions it is in fact a married king who hears the song not a Prince's son. That's why he never made an attempt to remove her from the tower." She smiled.

"Urm. Yes." He blushed. "Well as I was saying..yes..a Prince..and he heard Mushroom singing and it deeply touched his heart. So he went back the next day, and listened for it. Once again, he heard the beautiful singing."

"Roger! Why after two years did the girl make no attempt to escape?" Linda asked. "She must be quite stupid."

"I'm sure she is." Roger agreed for the sake of agreeing. "Well the prince heard the cry the enchantress made, and the next day when it grew dark went to the tower and cried. 'Mushroom, Mushroom, let down your hair!'. Immediately the hair fell down and the prince climbed up. At first Mushroom was scared, but then he started to talk to her and she lost that feaer. When he asked her if she would take him as her husban she said yes."

"But she was fourteen!" Linda objected.

"People got married young in those days." Roger told her.

"But still! I mean if someone climbed in my bedroom window? What would you do? I'd scream!"

"But Mushroom didn't have any friends." Roger added.  
"Not with a name like that!" Mello decided to contribute.

"She said yes, but I know not of how to get down. Bring with you a skein of silk every time that you come and I will make a ladder. When it's ready I will come down with you, and you will take me away on your horse."

"Why didn't she cut her hair off?" Matt asked. He looked up from his game. "Tie it to the window, cut if off with the guys sword and simple."

"Yeah." Mello agreed. "Or why not just complain to social services. The witch isn't allowed to keep her prisoner."

"They weren't around then." Roger reminded him. "But if they were I'm sure the Prince would have."

"Why didn't the Prince just take a rope the next time?" Linda asked.  
"I don't know." Roger said, confusion spreading. He decided he had better get on with the story. "They agreed that he would always come in the evening, for the old woman came but in the day. The enchantress did not know, until one day Mushroom said to her. 'Tell me why you are so much heavier than the king's son.'"

"That was stupid!" Mello commented. "Honestly. Girls!"

"Hey don't be sexist!" Linda snapped.

"Fine blondes!" He made a face.

"Your blonde too!" Linda told him pointing at his head. "And you look like a girl!"

"Linda! Mello!" Roger called holding his hands up. "Please, act your age."

"Yeah Mello, quit acting like a twelve year old!" Matt remarked.  
"I'm not even ten!"

"Exactly." Matt stuck his tongue out.

"Anyway." Roger tried again. " 'Wicked child!' cried the enchantress. 'I seperated you from the world and you deceived me!' She grabbed the girl's pretty hair and seized a pair of scissors, and snip snap snip it was cut off. The lovely braids lay on the ground."

"You know she was right." Linda commented. "The witch woman fed and clothed her and tried to keep her out of harm's way. But Mushroom or Rapunzel or whoever just lied to her. She snuck a boy into her bedroom."

Roger nodded. "But on the same day as she cast Mushroom out, the enchantress fastened the braids of the hair to the window."

"See that's what I would have done!" Matt called.

"Yes Matt. And when the son came and cried for her to let down her hair the hair came down." Roger told the boy.

Near shook his head slowly. "Why would she do that? Why not simply call his parents and tell them what their son had been up to? Surely sneaking into a young ladies room at night even then was frowned uppon?"

Roger shook his head slowly. "Instead of fetching his parents she decided to punish him."

"That is fair." Near agreed.

" 'Aha! You would come to see my daughter!' The enchantress called. 'The cat has got out and will scratch your eyes out' she told him. 'You will never see sweet Mushroom again'. The king's son was beside himself in pain, and in despair leapt from the tower."

"I thought she pushed him." Linda commented.  
"No he jumped." Mello said. "He tried to kill himself. Like A did."

Roger did not want the children to be discusssing such things. "Whether he jumped or was pushed doesn't matter." He distracted them.

Near twirled a lock of white hair around a finger. "Actually it does matter." He said. "It's the difference between suicide and murder."

"Ah but luckily the prince escaped with his life, but the thorns into which he fell pierced his eyes. Then he wandered quite blind about the forest eating nothing but berries and roots."

"Why didn't he try and find the castle?" Mello asked.

"I'm sure he was. But thus he wandered about for some years, and finally found the desert where Mushroom was, with the twins she had given birth to."

"How old was the Prince?" Near asked. "Generally the age of consent is illegal. It could be counted as rape."

"I assure you Near, this is a fairy tale. She had given birth to a boy and a girl, but was still sad. He heard her voice, and it was so familiar he went towards it. When she recongnised him she cried and his tears wetted his eyes which grew clear again."

"Wouldn't rain have done that?" Asked Mello.

"I believe Mello is right Roger." Near agreed. "Surely one of the first things he would have tried was wetting his eyes with water?"

"Well the Prince like many Princes in stories was very very stupid. He led her to his kingdom where he was received joyfully."

"Why didn't the King send anyone looking for him?" Linda asked. "A search party?"

"I don't know." Roger admitted. "I don't know. But they lived happily ever after. The end."

There was a short silence. "Is that it?" Mello asked finally.

"Yes!" Roger told them. "Now if you don't get off to bed I won't read to you again tomorrow!"


	5. Frost and the 7 Vertically Challenged

"Once upon a time there lived a King and a Queen." Read Roger.

"Why can't it be a King and a King?" Asked Mark. He was thirteen years old and had been recently studying rights in North Ireland. Ever since he'd got back he'd been going on about gay marrige and civil rights.

"Ok. There was a King and a King. They had everything except for a child. One fine winter day, one of the Kings sat by the window sowing when he pricked his finger. A drop of blood fell to the snow. 'I wish I had a daughter with skin as white as snow, hair as black as ebony wood and lips as red as a rose'. She said. In autumn his wish came true for they adopted a beautiful baby girl."

"That's better." Mark told him, he disapeared out of the door soon after.

"Why does the pretty one have to be a girl?" Demanded Linda. "Why can't boys be pretty?"

Roger shrugged. Why couldn't boys be pretty? Or handsome. "Right. Of course." He grew flustered. "They adopted a baby boy. The boy had jet black hair, and pale white skin, and the brightest lips ever."

"Was his name L?" Near asked.

"No. No that wasn't L." Roger told him.

"Was he B?" Linda asked.

"No. Not B either. The little prince was called... Frost Blanc, but soon after he was adopted the king who'd wished for a son died. After a few years, the lonely king remarried. The new-King or Queen?" He asked. There were many shouts of reply.  
"But she wouldn't be the queen would she?" Asked Rhys quietly. "She'd be a Lady or a Lord."

"Oh right." Roger frowned. "The new Lord then, was handsome but arrogant."

"Why do they always have to be handsome? Why can't they be clever?" Came the whine.

"Fine. He was clever but arrogant. He liked to use magic and had a magic mirror."

"Can it be broken?" Rhys demanded.

"What?" Roger stopped himself, why bother arguing? "Ok. The Lord had a magic broken mirror. He would ask 'Shards, shards on the floor, who is the most intelligent of them all?' and the Shard would reply 'You ohh Lord.' Hearing this the Lord would smile. One day he asked the question, but the Shard's answer was different this time. 'You are wise my Lord but Frost Blanc is the wisest of them all'. The Lord stamped his foot. He plotted to kill Frost Blanc and stormed out of the room."

"Did he poison him?" Linda asked.

"I think a staged suicide would be better." Rhys offered.

"Or if he'd abandoned him in the wilderness."

"What about having him abducted?"

"Sold him as a slave!"

"He could have him sent back to social services." Mello said quietly. "They did that to me."

Roger nodded. "Liam's guess was the best. One morning the Lord called his huntsman and ordered him to take Frost Blanc into the forest, kill her and bring back her heart to prove he was dead."

"A heart can be from anyone though!" Liam rolled his big blue eyes. "It'd be so much more efficent to ask for her head."

"Yes. Well..the Huntsman was horrified. He loved-he was very fond of the little Prince and did not want to kill him. He took the boy deep into the forest and spoke to him 'Be careful of your stepfather he wants to kill you, but I can't do that. So run deep into the forest'. The Huntsman left poor Frost Blanc alone then killed a deer and took its heart back to the Lord."

"Meat is murder!" Sara told him.

"Yes, well so is child murder." Roger sighed. "The Lord was very happy to see the heart of the deer, and served it to his husband."

"Frost Blanc ran as far as he could until he came to a cottage deep in the forest."

"Is it the bear's cottage?" Near asked.

Roger shook his head. "No, it's not."

"Is it the one where B pretended to be Little Orange Goggles's-"

"No. This is another cottage."

"There are lots of cottages in the woods aren't there?"

"Yes Matt. Yes there are. In the next story there's a cottage made out of sweets."

"Well that wouldn't work!" Near rolled his eyes.  
"Yes..Well..Very well..Frost Blanc knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He pushed the door-"

"Entering!"

"But not breaking!" Matt finished.

"Right. Frost Blanc went inside, the house was small. He wondered who could live in such a small house. He looked around, and was surprised to find seven of everything. Seven dirty cups, seven plates, seven knives and seven forks. Even seven messy beds and seven chairs."

"Maybe they were for the horcruxes." Mello offered.

"OH MY GOD!" Matt turned to him. "Roger hadn't read that bit to us yet!" He scowled.

"Right." Roger looked back at the page. Where was he? "Well, well he dusted the house, then had some bread and cheese-"

"Vandilism."

"And theft." Mello finished for Matt.

"Well he was tired from running away from the huntsman!"

"Who was probably a pervet in love with the King's son.."

"Frost Blanc fell asleep!" Roger snapped, he breathed out. "At night the masters of the house returned, to find their home clean and spotless. 'Who did this?' they asked, they looked around. Dinner was cooking and the table was laid. They crept to the bedroom, there they saw a handsome prince. Frost Blanc, woke up to find seven dwarves standing by his bed. 'Don't be scared' they told him. 'How did you find this place?' they asked him. Frost Blanc told them his story. The dwarves were horrified. 'You must stay here with us' they said. Frost Blanc was very happy and the dwarves were delighted to look after him. Frost Blanc and the dwarves started living a good life, and he soon forgot about the wicked Lord."

"Where they female dwarves or male dwarves?"

"Uhm.." Roger said.  
"Female." Linda interupted.

"Ok. Well yes. The Lord was living peacefully, and happily..but one day he thought to ask the magic shard again who was the cleverest. 'Shard shard in my hand who is the most intelligent in the land?' And the shard replied-"

"L is the intelligentestic person in the land!" Shrieked Mari, who was but four years old. She was hushed by Near.

"Yes. But then the shard added 'Frost Blanc who lives with seven women is the most intelligent.' When he heard this he went pale, for he knew the Huntsman had tricked him. But this time he didn't want to take a chance. He tried a magic spell that made him become an old beggar woman. He went into the forest as the seven dwarves left for work at-"

"The supermarket."

"Ok. At the supermarket. In the woods. Right." Roger rubbed his face. "He knocked on the door and Frost Blanc opened it to see a begger woman on the door step. She was holding a basket full of apples."

Linda shook her head. "My Mum used to read this story to me. The Lord first tried with a ribbon around Frost Blanc's waist, too tight for him to breathe, but the dwarves came back and undid it. Then he tried with a poisoned comb but the dwarves revived her again."

"Yes. Ok. Well this time it's apples. And he said 'Try my apples, they are magic wishing apples: one bite and your dreams come true'. Frost Blanc who had been thinking about the beautiful Princess of his dreams took an apple. One bite and he fell down to the floor. The old beggar woman turned into the wicked Lord. 'Nothing but a kiss from your true love will save you now' he laughed as he ran away. The dwarves saw him running away, and as he did they caught him and forced him to dance in red hot slippers away. He was never seen again, then the Dwarves came back to the cottage. They tried everything to wake Frost Blanc."

"I thought she wasn't leaving anything to chance." Mello pouted. "A kiss from true love is really easy."

"Well the dwarves didn't know that, ok? They would have burried Frost Blanc-"

"I'd have burnt her."

"We know." Near rolled his eyes again. He was good at that.

"But Frost Blanc looked alive. So they made a coffin of crystal glass and laid him in it. For a long time he lay there, looking as if he were sleeping, his hair still as black as ebony wood, skin as white as snow and lips as pure as a rose."

"Poor Frost Blanc." Murmured Near.

"Poor L." Smiled Mello. "Frost Blanc does sound like L doesn't he?"

"Yes. Well one day a beautiful princess came riding from a nearby kingdom. She saw then beautiful Frost Blanc and fell in love with him."

"Ew. How can you fall in love with a rotting corpse?"

"Frost Blanc wasn't rotting!" Snapped Roger. "Anyway, he said 'How beautiful she is!' and knelt down to kiss her. He moved the glass, and the kiss, the one true kiss would break the spell."

"Boring! And kissing a dead person?" Mello demanded.

"Yes. Well Frost Blanc woke up and looked around, surprised to see the handsome princess beside him. The beautiful princess said to Frost Blanc 'Will you marry me?' and he said 'Yes.' Frost Blanc took the girl to meet the dwarves and told them everything. The dwarves were very happy for him. Soon Frost Blanc married the princess and they lived happily ever after."

"Apart from the poor Lord." Matt said slowly.

"Yes." Agreed Roger.

"And the dwarves lost their house cleaner." Linda told him honestly. "So they weren't happy."

"I suppose not." Roger nodded closing the book.  
"And the King lost two of his husbands. So he probably wasn't happy." Said Mello.

"That's right." Roger smiled.

"And the wicked Lord probably had the Huntsman executed or something?"

"He might." Agreed Roger, defeatedly.

"And the Shard of mirror lost a job!"

"Tax probably went up."

"Education suffered."

"Murder rates increased."

"So the only two that were really happy was Frost Blanc and the princess."

"Until they started arguing!"

"About who left the toothpaste open!" Offered Matt.  
"Yeah and who brought the wrong cereal." Suggested Linda.

"Oh and who's turn it was to watch the kids." Liam nodded knowingly.

"And who wasn't pulling their weight."

"And-"

"Enough!" Roger shouted. "Bed now!"

They scurried away, but Linda stuck her head around the door. "They did live happily ever after really didn't they?" She asked.

Roger was tired, so he nodded. "Of course they did Linda." He replied.

"Am I going to live happily ever after Roger?" She murmured, clutching the door frame.

He nodded. "Of course you are Linda." She smiled her blonde pigtails bobbing up and down. "With a handsome prince of your very own. In a castle far far away from here.."

She sighed. "Not everyone will. But I hope we do." She turned away before turning back. "Roger?" She asked.

"Yes?" His reply was weary.

"Can we have another story tomorrow?"


	6. Lucy

"Many years ago, there was a Duke and a Duchess who had recently been granted the gift of a beautiful healthy baby girl. They called her Lucy, but sadly months after Lucy was born the duchess took fever and died leaving her motherless." Roger read.

Linda smiled. "My Grandma told me that I might have been called Lucy."

Roger nodded. He knew her true name. Lynette Holmes. But Linda suited her better. Lucy just didn't sound the same. "I know what it's like to be Motherless." Piped in Mello. "I bet her step mum hates her! Except it was a Step Dad I had first. He didn't like kids. Or women. Or anyone.." He trailed off. Roger often wondered why Mello still enjoyed listening to the stories. He'd been at Wammy's for little more than a year, and was now nearing eleven. Yet he seemed to enjoy the regularity of the stories. Roger knew Mello had been forced to grow up far too fast, perhaps that was why he clinged to childhood. Mello was the oldest at the story group, followed by Rhys and Matt and then two years their junior Linda and Sara. The others were all small children. He hardly rememebered their names any more.

"Where was I?" He asked. "Oh yes. Well at the same time the King and Queen of the land had a two year old son, a prince. Two years passed, and when the baby was two and the Prince was four the Duke decided his daughter needed a mother."

"I didn't have a Mother! I'm fine!" Pouted Sue. She had a strange black streak in her dark hair. But she'd never asked to dye it.

"I know. But the Duke thought she did. And so he remarried a widowed woman like himself, but unlike his first wife her heart was filled with rage and hate. She was jealous of the Duke's affection for his daughter. She had four daughters of her own, two were three years older than Lucy, and two only a year older."

"Two sets of twins?" Near raised an eyebrow. "It's unlikely in those times to have a surviving pair of twins..yet alone two in one family.."

"Yes Near. Ok." Roger managed to hush him. "Three years later the Duke died on a mission for the King. A will not found the new Duchess inherited everything, including poor little Lucy. The new Duchess Maria was jealous of Lucy's beauty and forced her out of her room and into a servant. Her few things were mvoed to the basement and she was forced to act like a maid. The years passed and Lucy became a personnal maid to Eliza and Kitty the older sisters as well as Lillian and Lorraine the younger two. Over the years the stepsister's hatred towards Lucy grew, but Maria's hatred halved. Thirteen years of odd balanced passed like this until one day it all changed." He paused for dramatic effect.

"How did it change Roger?" Demanded a dark haired boy.

"How?"

"Oh I don't think you really want to know do you?" Roger raised a grey eyebrow.

The children were ecsatic with their shouts of 'We do we do'. Only Mello didn't join in. He half skulked at the back. "Well Lucy, who by now they called Cinderella for the reason that she was constantly covered in cinders, was clearing the table at the time. It was a few weeks from Prince Andrew's birthday anda series of balls were going to take place. It was morning and her stepfamily were in the dining room having just finished breakfast. The sisters were chatting away about the first of the two balls in two weeks time. Cinderella was clearing the table." He pointed to the line. "Chloe-why don't you read for the sisters, and Linda can read for the Step mother?"

"Mother, when is the invitation going to come?"

"Moaned Lorraine."

"When it gets here Lorraine."

"Said Maria. She sighed."

"But Mother I want it to get here now."

"Moaned Kitty. Maria sighed again." He held up a hand. "That's good. "Well then Lillian said 'I can't wait until the ball! I'll be so pretty the prince won't be able to resist me!' She sounds silly doesn't she? Well Eliza told her 'Once he sees me he'll forget about you!' and Lorraine replied 'You're not as pretty as me' before Kitty told them none of them were as stunning as she was." He paused waiting for an interuption. There wasn't one. He continued. "Well as I was saying, they argued and argued until their Step Mother forced them to stop. Then she gave a simply order to Cinders, asking her to fetch some material to make their dresses from."

"Why didn't Lucy leave?" Rhys asked.

"There wasn't anything for children in those times." Near rolled his eyes.

"But she was fifteen wasn't she? She could have run, lived on the streets, something. Why stay?"

Mello looked away. Roger turned to Rhys. "Sometimes we feel like we have a duty to stay. Her stepmother didn't physically abuse her, but it happens doesn't it? Sometimes people feel like they're obliged to stay, because they want to love the person, and don't understand why they can't."

"Sometimes.." Echoed Rhys.

Roger nodded. "Well, Cinderella fetched the material, and on the way who saw her but Prince Albert! It was then, after seeing such beauty he decided to look for a wife. So he gave an order to his manservant Henry that he should have sent to every woman in the land an invatation to the ball. He wanted a wife."

"But it obviously isn't going to go right is it? Lucy won't get an invatation will she?"

Roger shook his head. "Nope. But what did happen was interesting. Because it was decided for the first ball there would be a party for the noble guests, and another party for the servants. Held at the same time, for the servants of those invited, because they would be staying the night at the palace. Cinderella was invited to the servants ball. That night all of the nobles wondered where the prince had gone. But he was dancing with a young girl in the servants ball. Who do you think that girl was?" Roger addressed them all.  
A tirade of hands went up. He finally chose a small girl. "Lushy!"

"That's right. Lucy. But when he asked her for her name, she told him 'Cinderella'. The name to him didn't suit her, but he nodded, as he bid his farewell and stared into the milky brown eyes one last time. It was then he decided he wanted to marry her. But the clock was striking midnight and she had sowing that needed to be done, so she had hurried away from him."

"What happens next?" Asked Linda.

"The next day Lucy couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious man she had danced with. She didn't know he was the prince, but she dreamed of meeting him again. In fact, her mind was so blurred she dropped her step mother's best china tea set. She sweeped up the pieces, but when Maria found out Lucy felt the strike of her hand across her face. 'You good for nothing girl' she cried before storming away. Cinderella was hit many times that day, but she didn't mind for her heart was focused on the stranger at the dance. She knew he was a noble man, for she had seen him at the Palace when she had had to deliver messages. So she deided she wanted to go to the second ball too."

"Why didn't she just go to the second ball?" Asked Thomas.

"Wait and see." Roger returned. "Cinderella had never been happier. She set about making her Sunday best dress more respectable, she worked hard over the week until her dress was almost as beautiful as the dresses that the other women at the ball would be wearing. It was the night of the ball, and Maria decided she wouldn't be attending it. The four daughters were though, and they were dressed ready in their lace. Cinderella made the mistake of letting them see her dress."

"What did they do?" Linda leaned over to see the picture.

"When they saw how beautiful she looked they rushed at her, tearing the dress from her. How dare she look so beautiful? They asked themselves. How dare she have such a fine dress? They didn't care that she had spent hours making it. Pure anger and spite boiled up in them. 'Why are you dressed like that?' Screamed Eliza. Cinderella replied 'I'm going to the ball'. But the four step sisters laughed like fiends. 'No you're not!' they beat her and hit her with their fists, before finally they left for the ball together, leaving the weeping bruised girl lying on the floor."

A confident boy who had to be around nine frowned. "Why doesn't she just leave?" He asked, a very eccentric English accent leaking through.

"Because she can't." Mello replied.

Roger coughed to gain their attention. "The four sisters left for the ball, and Cinderella who's dress was in tatters by now-"

"I don't think anyone sane could be that mean!" A snotty girl said. "They wouldn't go and rip up her dress or hit her..what kind of family would?"

Linda interupted them. "I think you should be quiet." She warned.

"There are no kind of bully who'd-"

"Quiten down now." Roger scolded.

Sara scowled. "There's bullies everywhere. Sometimes their part of your family."

The girl who was snotty looked down her nose. "Yeah well they'd never hit her or anything- I mean that sort of stuff doesn't happen anymore." She rolled her eyes.

"Right. I won't finish unless-"

"Ela I think you need to shut up." Matt warned her.

The quiet whispers grew louder until the debate was in full swing voices raised childishly high. Tensions wound. Ela had to shout to make herself heard."Oh Matt you know kids only make up that kind of thing to get attention!"

The door slammed. Roger spoke quietly. "Silence." He raised his voice. "Silence! SILENCE!" All voices stopped, every child stared at him. He lowered his voice. "Right. I don't want a word out of any of you until I come back."

"'sn't our fault Mello goes crying like a girl." Muttered a boy with an upturned nose.

"I said silence!" Roger called. He strode from the room, knocking on the living room door as he did. He stuck his head around the door to where he saw two sixteen year olds playing cards, their history books lay open on the table. They were meant to be studying. "Can you two finish the story for the kids?" Roger asked. They nodded. He walked on. He turned around a single corner and faced the cowering boy. Mello ran a hand through his blonde locks.

"I'm sorry." He apologised, his blue eyes weren't tear stained, they were hard and as cold as ice.

"You don't need to be." Roger spoke softly. Mello slumped down bringing his knees up to his chest, Roger copied him. They both sat against the wall, and Mello didn't cry, just stared. "Want to tell me what this is all about?" Roger raised an eyebrow.

Mello shook his head, hardly moving a fraction of a centimeter but the movement was there all the same. "No..please no.."

Roger sighed. "Shall we talk about it in my office?" He asked. Mello made no sign of replying. "Come on." He stood his knees clicked. "You know it's no good for an old man like me to be sitting on the floor!" He said. Mello cracked a small smile. "Come on." He held out a hand.

They walked towards the office, and Mello managed a slight smile as they heard the boys struggling to answer the thousand questions the children posed. Because logic didn't exist in fairytales. How did you explain that to children when you constantly told them the world revolved around logic? "How did the story end Roger?" Mello's voice was barely audible.

"You never heard it before?" Roger hid the surprise quite well. "Well there's a fairy god mother..and.." he tried to think of a way to summarize. "They all live happily ever after."

Mello sighed. "Even the step mother and the sisters?" There was no justice.

Roger tapped his nose. "Well in some versions of the story the step parent gets their eyes pecked out by angry birds. And in some versions the step sisters cut off their toes."


	7. Mistletoe Lies

Roger's eyes scanned the contents page, searching for a suitable Christmas story. Well, the one he found was better than nothing. He flicked to the indicated page, then leaned towards the children. The fire in the fireplace crackled and sparked, they were mesmirised by it. He chucked lightly, and their hypnotic state was broken.

"Is it time?" whispered the white headed Near, his face illuminated by the flames.

"For a story?" Roger raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Linda, who was now aproximately nine years old told him. "A story. A festive story."

Roger smiled. "It was the afternoon of Christmas eve, and everywhere in Wammy's house everyone was stirring." He paused chuckling to himself. "Yes even Mello."

Mello laughed. "I'm not that lazy! It's Matt who wants to sleep in till like.. one o clock!" He protested.

Roger nodded. He was in a good mood today. And Matt's sleeping habits resembled that of an average teenager, so it didn't bother him that much. Just the fact that Matt was nine not fifteen. Though he soon would be, years were passing so quickly now.

"Carry on!" Commanded Ben.

Shaking his head Roger muttered. "Where was I now? Oh yes.. Yes even Mello. Everyone everywhere was having fun putting up decorations. In fact, the older children.." He paused unsure of how to go on. Should he use their names?

"Like Alternative, Backup, Copy and Extra?" Near recited.

"Yes." Roger agreed. "Like Alice, Beyond, Ceridwen and Edward." He correced. "Well then.. In fact, a few of the older children; Ceridwen and Edward were stringing up mistetoe. In the hope of a kiss that two in their year would share. Who were those two?" he watched the excited faces. He knew how the story would turn out, and just wished the real story had turned out quite so well.

"Alice and Beyond." Sara told him. She smiled. "Is this a romantic story Roger?"

He lowered his voice so that each child strained with glee to hear it. "Do you want it to be?" he asked.

She nodded frantically. Near rolled his eyes. "Alternative and Backup. Romance is unnecessary."

"Well.. sometimes things that are unnecessary are needed." Roger knew that the logic he used wasn't quite right. "Well soon Alice and B were walking down the hall, and the others were hiding so that they could watch."

"That's so mean!" Linda told him angrily. "I mean none of us'd do that!"

Mello threw a look at her. "You so would!"

"Would not!"

"Would to!"

Roger frowned. "That's enough!" He paused. "Well you see, Ceridwen and Edward had told all of the other children what would happen. Their favourite pair would be kissing today. So all of the children gathered to watch hidden behind doors. So as Alice and B neared each other, they stopped for a second, just to have a chat. A piece of mistletoe hovered above them like a spider ready to pounce, and neither of them saw it. But.. someone else in the house, decided to ruin things for the unsuspecting couple. Who was it?"

"Near!" Called Mello. "Near always ruins everything!"

"I do not!" Snapped the young boy, though he soon calmed. "It's Mello who does that."

Roger sighed. "How about we say.." he tried to think of a name that no one would be offended by. "Harry? Well, Harry ran out from his hiding place towards the talking couple and-"

"Keep going!" Urged Linda.

"Sorry! I will!" Said Roger in return. "Well he ran towards them, to make a mess of things. Towards them he sprinted and he stopped before them giving both an almighty glare. 'Sometime today?' he called at them."

"Why did he say that?" asked Mello.

"Shush and I'll tell you." Roger told him slowly. "Right.. where was I? Ah ha.. well Alice looked up bewildered, and stared at him in surprise. B simply stood tapping his foot impatiently. 'What are you on about?' demanded Alice. And Harry told her to look up. She did, and so did B, and that was when they saw the mistletoe that hung above the three."

"So the plan worked?" Near raised an eyebrow.

"Shall we see?" offered Roger. "Well what happend next made Ceridwen gasp, because B leaned forward, and kissed Harry square on the lips. Then offering his hand to the girl, lead her away from the childish boy. B and Alice kissed behind locked doors, away from the prying eyes of their school mates. And that is the end."

Linda snickered. "That was a rubbish ending! No one died!"

Roger sighed, pulling the book shut. "Would you like to hear the real ending?"

Linda nodded, as did the others. "How did the real story end?"

Roger shook his head. "That story's for another day." He informed the children.

"Please tell us!" Begged Linda, her large blue eyes staring up at him.

"Tomorrow, or the day after." Roger promised. He had no intent to keep that promise.


End file.
